The world-class medical university in Stockholm, Sweden has appointed Anders Ekbom as its first Scientific Ombuds (vetenskapligt ombud) and chair of a new Ethics Council. According to a blog post by KI’s Rektor, Ekbom will be tasked with offering advice and guidance to individual researchers or research groups on issues relating to research and researcher ethics -- such as disagreement about authorship of a scientific article. There are now more than a dozen Ombuds in Swedish higher education. The Scientific Ombuds role at Karolinska is similar to those that have become common at German universities.
In his latest annual report, Paul Dubé, says that complaints about universities to the Ontario Ombudsman have grown steadily since his office gained oversight of them in 2016 (268 cases in 2017-2018). He says that all of the university cases were resolved without formal investigation. Moreover, Mr. Dubé encourages more universities, as well as colleges of applied arts and technology, to have their own Ombuds.
The public university in Boca Raton has opened a search for its next Ombudsman. (Angie Gifford has served in the role for the past five years.) The FAU Office of the Ombuds primarily serves students, of which there are about 31,000 enrolled. The office practices to the usual Organizational Ombuds standards and reports to the campus's chief administrative officer.
USOA has released the agenda its 39th annual conference, "Ombudsman: Blazing a Trail to Fairness." The conference is preceded by two training programs, a two-day New Ombudsman Training and a one-day course on Dealing with Unreasonable Complainant Conduct.
Here's a summary of the conference agenda:
The Coalilition of Federal Ombudsman has entirely overhauled its website. The result is a significant resource for members and other needing information about Ombuds programs in the federal sector. The new site offers an overview and history of federal Ombuds group, meeting information, links to relevant documents, and more.
Michele Hannoosh and Robert Ortega have been selected as part-time Faculty Ombuds for Michigan. The report to the Office of the Provost and provide Ombuds services to faculty from the Ann Arbor and medical campuses. The vacancies were created when Bruno Giordani left the role after four and a half years. Michele Hannoosh is Professor of French and Robert Ortega, is an Associate Professor of Social Work. (UMich Record.)
Last month an independent investigator recommended the appointment of an Ombuds for the Virginia school district that has been roiled by complaints of workplace bullying and intimidation. On June 19 the Prince William County School Board appointed two board members to a committee to recommend a proposal for an Ombuds office. (Inside NoVa.)
The Department of the Interior's Office of Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution is
hiring an Conflict Management Specialist to be based in Arlington, VA. Duties for the position include serving as "in-house coach, facilitator, mediator, or ombuds."
Norway's legislature (the Storting) continues work on legislation requiring Student Ombuds programs (Studentombud) for all universities, but most universities are not waiting for a legal mandate. A report in Khrono, an online newspaper published by Oslo University, says that 10 schools already have a Studentombud and most of the other the 28 universities in the country are actively considering the concept.
Nicole Pottberg has been named the Staff Ombudsperson for the Dwight Look College of Engineering at Texas A&M University. She joins Jennifer Welch, the College's Faculty Ombudsperson.
The umbrella scientific organization for the U.S. has issued a report calling for a culture change in academia to respond to continued mistreatment of women. In essence, the NASEM report recommends that academic science should become a national leader in responding to the #MeToo movement and ending sexual harassment. Recommendations include a call for institutions have an Ombuds to counsel those who have been harassed, separate from Title IX offices.
The U.S. federal court is having its own #MeToo moment and the Senate is investigating. On Wednesday, the Judiciary Committee held a hearing to examine the federal court systems response to sexual harassment claims and broader misconduct issues. In her testimony, Jenny R. Yang, the immediate past Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, said that formal systems to prevent misconduct should be supplemented with Ombuds office. She specifically cited IOA standards and the recent ACUS report on Ombuds. Clearly, Yang was well informed about Ombuds.
After an eight-month search that required two interim office holders, Stanford has selected Brenda Berlin as its next University Ombuds. Berlin is new to ADR and the Ombuds role. For the past two decades, she has worked at Duke Law School, where she is currently Clinical Professor of Law and Chair of the Public Interest & Public Service Certificate Advisory Board. She starts in September and succeeds David Rasch, who retired last year. (Jim Laflin continues as the Ombuds for Stanford's School of Medicine.)
The South Carolina's oldest public university has appointed Evie Nadel as its next Student/Staff Ombudsperson. Nadel has worked for the university since 2003 and most recently served as the Senior Director of Community Relations. She takes over the role from Deni Mitchell.
At its annual business meeting last week, the group previously known as the "European Network of Ombudsmen in Higher Education" replaced the word 'Ombudsman' in its name in favor of 'Ombuds" as part of a unanimous decision to become a formal corporate body. Further details are expected. In addition, ENOHE selected Dame Suzi Leather to be its next chair. The announcements came at the joint conference last week with the Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons.
